In a large percentage of video surveillance system installations, in order to install or replace a video camera dome, an installation crew often must use a man-lift or very tall ladder to reach the elevated positions of one or more video components. Video camera domes often include integrated hardware and diagnostic components for sending and receiving operational information across a network. When a particular video camera dome is installed, it typically will go through a “home-up” or calibration procedure, and then look for activity on a connected communication network, which can be running any one of multiple protocols. When the video camera dome detects a proper command stream over one of the networks, it may report the type of protocol and/or command stream found as overlaid text in a video stream communicated to and displayed in a control room monitor. To verify that the dome is installed and communicating properly, an installer would normally communicate with someone in the control room who would watch for the communication acknowledgement message on the monitor and/or verify communication with the dome by sending a movement command from the control room to the video camera dome.
As stated above, video camera domes often include integrated hardware and diagnostic components, which may provide the capability to detect when the camera dome is receiving a recognized communication from a controller. Even when the dome is not receiving a command to move, a dome controller typically sends out polling commands to look for alarm activity or some other indicative event. Many existing domes also run internal diagnostics and overlay any status indications and/or errors onto a video stream output. As such, in addition to having an installer at the location of a video camera dome, current systems also require someone present on the receiving end of the video stream, such as in a control room or other secondary location, to verify functionality and/or operational condition of an installed camera. If an installer could verify that the dome was communicating properly and successfully passed diagnostic checks at the site of camera installation without requiring a second person elsewhere, the installation could be performed quicker and at a lower cost.
Previous solutions for this problem include the use of a light emitting diode (“LED”) on the video camera dome itself, readily visible to an installer, to indicate proper communication or functionality. However, this approach is not without disadvantages. An LED or similar visible element on the video camera dome that is readily visible to the installer is also visible to customers, as well as potential thieves. Security personnel monitoring an area with the video camera dome obviously do not want potential thieves they are tracking to easily recognize which direction the dome is pointed towards. To reduce the likelihood of such circumstances, video camera domes are generally designed as smooth globes that conceal the lens assembly and other components of the device. Nevertheless, a visible LED that moved around with the globe, and thus indicates the position of the camera, would still reduce the capacity of security personnel to inconspicuously monitor a particular location.
In view of the above, it is desirable to provide a video surveillance system having the ability to verify communication and/or an operational condition at the site of a video camera dome without the need for additional personnel at a secondary location, while maintaining the advantage of inconspicuously tracking and/or monitoring a selected area of interest.